As we wrap up HIVR4P 2018, we would like to thank all of you who helped make it a success!

Looking Back on HIVR4P 2018

Dear Friend of HIVR4P,
We are writing to give you a report back on HIV Research for Prevention 2018 (HIVR4P) – the world’s only scientific meeting dedicated exclusively to biomedical HIV prevention research – and to thank all of you who helped make the conference such a success!

Conference Quick Facts
This third biennial HIVR4P conference attracted 1,426 delegates from 52 countries to Madrid 21-25 October 2018. Some more quick facts about the meeting:

HIVR4P 2018 drew 20% more research abstract submissions and 34% more applications for conference scholarships than the previous HIVR4P conference.

Close to 70% of HIVR4P participants identified their primary professional focus as research, with 33% identifying as early career investigators; relatively equal numbers of the remaining attendees identified as advocates, educators, funders, healthcare workers, media representatives and policy-makers and administrators. The primary field of HIV prevention work of attendees was well distributed over prevention modalities.

Attendance by both African and European delegates increased compared to HIVR4P 2016.

The HIVR4P 2018 conference program was developed by our four Conference Chairs, representing different fields of HIV prevention research, and a multi-disciplinary 40-member Program Organizing Committee, which, along with 52 additional experts, reviewed 1126 abstract and 674 scholarship submissions.

More than 340 scholarships were awarded, including five New Investigator Awardees and 25 journalist fellowships.

The conference’s robust journalist training and media outreach program, including four live streamed press conferences, generated more than 110 unique media stories on the meeting to date in media outlets around the world.

HIVR4P 2018 attracted a broad array of supporters, without whom the conference would not be possible. The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise served as the conference secretariat.

Attendee Responses
Nearly 400 attendees responded to the HIVR4P 2018 Delegate Survey – more than twice the responses received in 2014 and 2016. Among the attendee feedback on the Madrid meeting:

91% of attendees said they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the conference.

92% said HIVR4P is among the top three conferences of importance in the field of HIV prevention.

Approximately 90% of attendees agreed that HIVR4P 2018 “fostered a dialog between participants from different fields,” “allowed for topic focus while also promoting interchange between disciplines,” “well represented the concerns and contributions of different constituencies,” and made visible “the participation of researchers and community members from resource limited settings.

The conference satellite sessions, advocacy sessions, networking lunches and communications also garnered high praise from attendees, along with recommendations for improvement that will help shape the HIVR4P conference program moving forward.

While more than 60% of Madrid conference attendees did not attend HIVR4P 2016 in Chicago, 73% said they will “definitely” or “likely” attend HIVR4P 2020 in Cape Town.

We hope you will plan to join them, and to continue to bring your research, your voice and your passion for prevention to HIVR4P – the world’s only global scientific conference dedicated exclusively to HIV prevention.